Pigmentation-associated antigen (PAA) or gp75 is a glycoprotein localized to the melanosomes of human melanomas and melanocytes to which a mouse monoclonal antibody (AbTA99) has been produced (T. M. Thomson et al. (1985) J. Invest. Dermatol.85, 169). Treatment of 3H-labeled immunoprecipitated melanoma PAA with alkaline-borohydride, hydrazinolysis, or N-glycanase released three families of carbohydrate chains (I, II, and III). Peak I consists of a major component (Ia) of sialylated triantennary N-linked chains which are partially substituted with fucose on terminal positions as well as on the chitobiose core and a minor component (Ib) which is a sialylated biantennary N-linked species. Peak II was not well characterized but may be a monoantennary complex chain species. Peak III consists of typical N-linked high mannose units with six to seven mannose residues. Melanocyte PAA carbohydrate chains have the same general features as melanoma PAA except that the biantennary complex chain predominates; this difference resembles that observed between the cell surface glycopeptides of transformed animal cells and their nontransformed counterparts. The glycosylation characteristics of this melanosomal glycoprotein are compared with those of glycoproteins from endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, and lysosomes, and with tyrosinase. It is suggested that the glycosylation pattern is a reflection of the biosynthetic origin and cellular destination of a particular organelle and its constituents.
